Here are 36 Ways to Have Beer for Dinner, including chili, burgers, pasta, tacos, battered fish, pizza crust, soup, marinades and more.
September 7th is National Beer Lover’s Day! You must celebrate with a mug of your favorite beer. Better yet, use beer to make one of these recipes! Browse 36 Ways to Have Beer for Dinner, and bookmark your favorite beer-themed dinner recipes.
Share the beer love on social media today using the hashtags #NationalBeerLoversDay, #BeerLoversDay and #RecipesForHolidays.
Be sure to follow my September Food Holidays Page so you never miss a food or drink holiday in the month of September!
“Good people drink good beer.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
The History of Beer:
Beer is one of the oldest human-produced beverages. Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians include beer in their writings (5th millennium BC). There is a 3900 year old Sumerian poem honoring Ninkasi (the patron goddess of brewing) that contains the oldest surviving beer recipe. In 3,000 BC Babylonians produced over 20 types of beer (they considered it a sign of wealth).
In 1,000 AD, hops was introduced into the brewing process. This made the beer less bitter tasting and more flavorful. By 7th century AD, beer was produced and sold by European monasteries. Beer was the perfect beverage for monks during times of fasting (due to its high nutritional value).
In the 19th century, beer was the world’s #1 alcoholic beverage. There were 3200 breweries in the United States alone. In the 1920’s (during Prohibition), most of those breweries went out of business when drinking beer became a crime.
Today, the brewing industry is a global business with many worldwide companies and smaller craft brewers as well. Now there are over 9,000 breweries in the United States.
Beer Can Chicken by Recipe Girl: This is a simple, easy, fun and fall-off-the-bone grilling recipe that delivers tender, juicy, flavorful chicken every single time.
Bacon Beer Cheese Cheddar Broccoli Soup by Plays Well With Butter: Basically, broccoli cheese soup with beer is the best of both worlds!
Beer Braised Pork Steaks and Onions by Craft Beering: This is fork tender and flavorful. In this simple recipe, slow cooking in moist heat creates a dish so comforting that it can easily become a family favorite.
Chinese Style Beer Braised Pork Belly by Pups with Chopsticks: Sweet and sticky, this melt-in-your-mouth pork belly is simple to make and incredibly flavorful.
Spanish Beer Chicken by Domestic Fits: This is a comforting meal that will remind you of the great food you find when you travel in Spain!
Sticky Guinness Chicken by The Endless Meal: Chicken thighs are first seared light brown then cooked in an easy to make sticky sauce made with your favorite Irish beer.
Chipotle Beer Shrimp with Pasta by Recipe Girl: Hot pasta is tossed with a spicy, beer-based tomato sauce and lots of shrimp!
Beer Braised Pulled Pork by Life Tastes Good: This is fork tender, slightly spicy barbecued pork with a deep, rich flavor. Enjoy it for dinner as a sandwich or even over rice.
Beer and Bratwurst Pasta by Posh Journal: The pasta is loaded with savory German sausage and perfectly cooked in a buttery beer sauce. It’s garlicky, and tastes like alfredo but without the heavy cream!
Beef and Dark Beer Chili by Recipe Girl: I’m pretty crazy about this chili recipe because it’s just a good beef chili that feeds a crowd. There are plenty of spices, and it’s not a chili recipe that is overwhelmed with beans.
Best Beer Brats by The Wooden Skillet: These are perfect for a cookout or an easy weeknight dinner. Serve with a variety of toppings and let everyone top them the way they want!
Creamy Beer Cheese Chicken by Cafe Delites: Beer and cheddar cheese in a creamy sauce with bacon AND chicken? What’s not to love!
Beer Cheese Soup by Recipe Girl: If you’re a beer lover, then this is a fun recipe for you to try! The recipe calls for two kinds of beer, and it has plenty of flavor with spices, bratwurst and cheddar cheese.
Crispy Beer Chicken with Creamy Beer Mushroom Gravy by Cafe Delites: Golden chicken pieces are marinated in lager and baked to a perfect crispy skin, so juicy and tender biting into them with an incredible garlicky flavor.
Beer Brined Pork Chops by Krazy Kitchen Mom: These are made with bone-in pork chops marinated in spices, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and Lager Beer.
Beer and Honey BBQ Chicken Skewers by Jo Cooks: These are perfect for a weekend or even a busy week night. Just prepare the night before, let them marinate overnight and grill when ready.
Beer Battered Chicken Tenders by The Creative Bite: These have crunchy breading on strips of juicy chicken breasts. Pick your favorite dunker and enjoy these flavorful tenders for lunch or dinner!
Crispy Beer Chicken by Easy Chicken Recipes: Marinated in beer, these chicken thighs are perfectly juicy and so flavorful!
Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken Taquitos by Half Baked Harvest: These are crunchy on the outside, but spicy and cheesy inside. Serve with a creamy, salty, lime crema sauce, and street corn salsa.
Beer Cheese and Sausage Pasta by Plain Chicken: This is smoked sausage and pasta tossed in a quick homemade beer cheese sauce.
Beer Battered Fish Tacos with Baja Sauce by Recipe Girl: These are just like the classic Southern California fish taco. If you haven’t tried them, you simply must!
Beer Battered Fish by Little Sunny Kitchen: This is light and fried fish prepared the traditional way! To make the batter ultra-crispy, the water is replaced with beer for better texture and flavor.
Beer Cheese Sloppy Joes by Wonky Wonderful: A cross between a sloppy joe and a loose meat sandwich, the meat is infused with Lager Beer then piled high on a pretzel bun. The finishing touch is a generous topping of gooey Beer Cheese Sauce!
Flemish Beef and Beer Stew by Pardon Your French: Fork-tender beef chunks and caramelized onions are in a rich, glistening beer-based gravy.
Ham and White Cheddar Beer Cheese Soup by With Salt and Wit: This easy soup recipe is delicious, creamy and full of flavor thanks to two types of cheese, beer, ham, and bacon!
Beer Dough Pizza Crust by Walking on Sunshine: The beer adds a unique flavor to the dough that you’ll absolutely love.
Beer Battered Fried Alaskan Salmon Sticks by Dash of Savory: Fresh Alaskan salmon is deep fried in a delicious beer batter. It’s served with a tangy lemon aioli dipping sauce.
Beer Battered Fried Chicken by Diethood: This is the most incredibly crisp, tender, and juicy chicken!
Beer Marinated Chicken Tacos by Recipe Girl: The chicken is the star of the show in these great-tasting tacos. It’s marinated in Mexican beer!
Irish Beer Burger by Will Cook for Smiles: This burger is made with Guinness caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, and crispy bacon, all on a potato roll. This delicious burger is finished off with some more Guinness beer while cooking.
Skillet Beer Braised Brats by Craft Beering: Skillet beer bratwurst is simmered in a malty sauce with soft onions and thyme. Serve on a hoagie roll topped with the onions or over mashed potatoes, smothered in the beer sauce.
Beer Pot Roast by Sweet and Savory Meals: This is made with tender beef, braised with beer, and roasted for hours with fresh herbs and root vegetables.
Beer Braised Beef Brisket by Life Tastes Good: This is braised in a homemade stout beer barbecue sauce that cooks down and leaves behind a deep, rich flavor that mingles nicely with the natural flavor of the beef.
Beer Braised Beef by A Treats Affair: Beef with carrots and potatoes, cooked slow and low in the oven is an effortless weeknight meal.
Beer Steamed Mussels by Rasa Malaysia: These delicious mussels are cooked with garlic, beer, onions and herbs. They are so much better and cheaper than in a restaurant!
Southern Baked Beer Macaroni and Cheese by Restless Chipotle: This is creamy, gooey and cheesy with a crispy topping, like the old fashioned mac and cheese recipe your kids love but with a grown up flavor all its own!
Fun Facts about Beer:
- Beer was one of the most common drinks during the Middle Ages.
- Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson produced beer. Washington even wrote a recipe for brewing beer!
- In 1810, the first Oktoberfest was held in Munich. It is now the world’s largest beer festival.
- Types of beer: lambics, lagers, dark beer, wheat beer, stouts, milds, pale ales, butters, golden ales and double IPA’s.
- More than 35 billion gallons of beer are sold each year. Global yearly revenue for beer is about 294 billion.